Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has warned of possible attempts to provoke ethnic clashes between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz in the south of the country ahead of the presidential election, he said in a Facebook post.

“Unscrupulous politicians ... are discussing plans to stoke ethnic conflict between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz in the south before the election, in order to provoke unrest and disrupt the vote,” Japarov said, citing information he received recently from a number of sources.

He stressed that the plans are so far only being discussed, but said there is a chance they could be carried out. Stirring up ethnic conflict requires nothing more than spreading false rumors that play on people’s feelings and hurt their national pride, he said.

Japarov did not say where the information came from or which politicians he meant. The post also does not say whether law enforcement agencies are checking the claims.

The president urged citizens, regardless of ethnicity, not to give in to provocations. “Today we are no longer the weak state we were in 1990 and 2010,” he said. “If a conflict suddenly breaks out, the state has enough strength and capability to stop it within a day or two.”

Kyrgyzstan’s presidential election is scheduled for January 27, 2027. Japarov filed an application with the Central Election Commission on November 10 to run as a self-nominated candidate.

Japarov recalled that clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in 1990 and 2010 killed hundreds of civilians. “Even the relatives of those who organized those conflicts suffered no consequences,” he said.